Tender Tale of Darkness
by Astera94
Summary: What if Harry Potter was snatched away that October night when Albus Dumbledore left him at the Dursley's stoop? What if Minerva McGonagall, Hagrid, and Dumbledore werent the only things skulking about...in the middle of the night a pair of eyes watched them; and in the morning stole away with a bundle wrapped in blue.


As the sun rises over an unsuspecting neighborhood, the sound of distant cars permeates the morning air. All is well and still, except...on one perfect little doorstep, in front of a perfect little lawn in this perfect little neighborhood, there lays a sight so odd that it couldn't be believed. A small child, wrapped in a bundle of cloth, put out like a bottle of milk sleeping soundly but shivering slightly in the morning air. Then, a little ways away, a bush rustled and quite possibly the ugliest creature ever seen peeked out of it.

It was a shriveled, pathetic figure, wearing a filthy, raggedy old pillowcase, with pale, grey skin that clung to it's hunched figure, drooping ears that came down to eye level, a hooked nose and narrowed piercing yellow eyes, all together making something from a small child's nightmare. Creeping forward, the thing looked around cautiously, then came slowly out of the bush and made its way to the front step in the doorway of number four, Privet Drive. Flinching and crouching when it heard a faraway neighbor shout something at a dog. Rising slowly, it's eyes darted around nervously, as if afraid something would leap out and bite it. It shuffled the final distance to the doorstep and, wringing it's shriveled hands nervously, leaned over to peer at the child on said doorstep, bringing one of it's hands forward to pull jerkily at the folds of the blanket covering the babes face. As the soft, sky blue blanket pulled away the infant was jostled slightly, eyelids fluttering slightly at the movement, and the baby's eyes opened slowly, sleepily.

As bright emerald eyes framed with dark eyelashes peered drowsily up at the offending creature, the pert little nose wrinkled cutely as he yawned, giggling as his soft black hair fell into his eyes. The wrinkled old thing held its breath, waiting for the child to start crying and screaming at his appearance, but the baby did not cry, instead reaching up with a little hand to tug curiously at a drooping ear. The owner of the ear only stared in awe, and, on a whim, brought its gnarly little hand forward, gently stretching one of it long knobby fingers and touched the child's nose. The little one cooed and giggled, grasping the finger in one little fist, clenching and unclenching it.

Suddenly, a loud noise from inside the house greatly startled the pair, a woman's voice could be heard, along with a screaming infant. Frightened, the creature pulled away, but as it did, the baby began to whimper softly. Hesitating, the little thing looked again at the small child, who looked so forlorn and abandoned on the porch steps that it moved the little wretch's heart to pity.

Glancing around at the quickly lightening neighborhood, the creature made a snap decision and, darting forward swiftly, snatched blanket and babe up into its arms, snapped it's fingers, and disappeared with a sharp crack. Narrowly avoiding the woman who, at that moment, opened the door to put out the bottles for the milkman. She jumped back, extremely startled, thinking for a moment that she had seen some kind of hideous demon. Shaking her head after a moment, she put out the empty milk bottles, must have been a trick of the light she around, Petunia Dursley went back inside and shut the door with a soft snap, none the wiser to the fact that her now orphaned nephew had just been there only moments before.

But..far away from Privet Drive, in a long forgotten house that didn't, technically, exist, a small, elf like figure knelt on the dusty living room carpet, holding a baby as it played with the creatures' fingers, giggling and cooing happily.

The bedraggled and dirty house elf crouched in his late mistress's house and stared at the baby it held in wonder. Soon it spoke, in a raspy, halting voice to the blissfully unawares child.

"Don't worry little master, Kreachers' here, little master will be safe with Kreacher, and Kreacher will be a good house elf and will be sure to keep little master away from filthy, disgusting, no good muggles and dirty blood traitors. Yes, Kreacher will be sure to take good care of his little master, Kreacher will be a good house elf, and will teach you, and feed you, and raise you to be a proper wizard, just like Kreacher's master.

"Don't worry, Kreacher will be a good house elf." In that moment, as Kreacher spoke softly to the giggling child, rocking him gently as he yawned again, a tender expression crossed his face, his ugly sour little countenance melting, making him seem almost...cute.


End file.
